Donald Trump's allies and some in the private sector are quietly preparing for large-scale detentions and deportations of migrants living in the United States, CNN reports, citing knowledgeable sources.

And now that a former U.S. president has become president-elect, those preparations are expected to intensify.

Immigration has been a cornerstone of Trump's 2024 election campaign, and while he has repeatedly made promises of mass deportations with a greater emphasis on domestic enforcement than he did in 2016 when he fixated on a border wall, members of his orbit and some in the private sector have been discussing what the plan would look like, sources told the network.

Trump's senior adviser, Jason Miller, told CNN that Trump's first priority is to restore the border policy of his previous administration and abandon President Joe Biden's policy.

A source familiar with the team's tentative plans told CNN that early on, Trump's team has focused on deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.

One of the key issues under consideration is how, when, and whether to deport immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, known as “dreamers.”

Targeting “dreamers” would be a departure from the historic bipartisan support they have enjoyed. Some are under the temporary protection of former U.S. President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows them to live and work in the United States.